Stairways
by Tigress2475
Summary: "What stairways stretch from the heavens to the underworld?" - An old stairway lies abandoned and alone before it is rediscovered by an unlikely pair. How difficult could the climb possibly be? (Sweet Devil/Angel AU) (USUK) (One-shot)


**Obligatory disclaimer- I do not own Hetalia-**

* * *

**So I wanted to write something about the Sweet-Devil/Angel AU, but I didn't really want to write anything super depressing or angsty. So I came up with this. .3.**

**Just so you know, this is USUK, so it's Sweet-Devil Alfred and Britannia Angel Arthur. I'd just like to point that out now, because their names aren't even used until like... halfway through the story, and even after that they are only ever used in dialogue. So this is pretty much me abusing the heck out of the words 'angel', 'demon', and pronouns. Sorry. ;_;**

**I hope you enjoy the story.**

* * *

There stretches a stairway connecting the worlds. It reaches up to the heavens, and sinks down to the depths of the underworld. Many people have forgotten about this stairway, leaving it abandoned and cold, unremembered. Few even recall the days when such a stairwell was used, but it remained there in plain sight. None walked up or down the steps anymore, but still- there it sat, waiting to be used one day more.

It was up this staircase that a demon looked. He dusted off the bottom step, feeling a slight burning sensation when his fingers brushed against it. He gazed up, straining to see. The stairway shown brightly once one took notice of it, and it gave a straight look upwards to Earth, and then the heavens. It was old, but still it gave off a overwhelming sense of power.

The demon caught sight of a figure at the top of the stairway. An angel sat at the top, apparently unaware of the stairway stretching down at his feet. He sat primly, ankles crossed, fingers wrapped lazily around the harp in his arms- not quite playing it. The demon perked and tried to call up, to catch the angel's attention, but to no avail.

The angel seemed to not see the stairway, looking fondly down on Earth- right through the steps laying at his feet. The demon frowned, taking one step up. He hissed at the warmth that spread over the soles of his feet. While it was not painful, it was not exactly comfortable either. It slowly spread from his shoes and up his legs. He gasped as the warmth tried to work it's way up to his knees and jumped back. The feeling left him suddenly, and he slouched at the emptiness that filled him. Suddenly his legs seemed oddly cold, even if he was surrounded by the heat of the underworld. He frowned, turning away from the decrepit staircase, and walked away.

* * *

The next day the demon returned to the staircase, wondering about the odd phenomenon. He had tried asking about it, but no one seemed to know about it. They all simply gave him looks and told him that the thing did not exist, that he must have been delusional. Still, he returned to the spot to find the bridge upwards still glowing brightly. He strained forward, leaning over the first step again- not quite touching it.

He could see the same angel sitting at the top, strumming boredly on his harp, wings spread out lazily behind him. He tried calling up again.

To his surprise, the angel reacted, tilting his head slightly. The demon couldn't quite make out the other man's expression- but he called louder, trying to draw his attention downwards.

The angel looked down, but through the staircase again, to Earth. The staircase seemed to be still invisible to the other man. The demon stomped a foot in frustration, and took that one step upwards again.

The warmth wasn't a surprise anymore, but it was still just as shocking and raw as it had been the first time. The demon grit his teeth, but remained planted on the first step. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called up again.

The angel jolted, apparently hearing his voice. The man stood up quickly and glared down, placing his harp on the perch he had been sitting on- a small marble pillar. He put his hands on his hips and squinted at where the staircase began.

The demon got excited, as the man's gaze finally seemed to center on the staircase, and not just look through it. He jumped back slightly, retreating, as the stairway came into focus for him- realizing just how close he had been to the first step.

The demon smiled and waved, yelling again. The angel recoiled, finally spotting the demon standing on the first step. He waited as the angel cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted back. The demon leaned forward, trying to catch what exactly the angel had said. The sound didn't quite reach him though, echoing off the walls- making a confusing symphony of sounds. He furrowed his brow, unsure. Lifting a foot hesitantly, he tried to get closer to the sound.

He hissed as his foot touched down on the second step, filling him with even more of the odd warmth. It was both pleasant and unpleasant. It filled him with a warm, comforting feeling, but at the same time crowded him with a discomfited, bothering burning.

The angel flinched back at the demon's movement, and gave him a look. The demon's tail lashed as his body adjusted to the new step, which was even stronger than the first one had been. The angel looked down for a moment more, before turning away and picking his harp back up. The demon almost gasped as the angel turned his attention elsewhere. He shouted up again, trying desperately to call the angel- but he was simply ignored as the angel sat back on his perch and left the stairway unnoticed.

The demon growled, and turned and stalked down the stairs again- cold seeping into him with each step. When he reached the bottom his wings drooped, unable to be lifted up again. With the taste of the second step's warmth left behind, he felt stripped. He wrapped his arms around himself as he trudged home.

* * *

On the third day, the demon came up with a plan. He had told his friends about the staircase again, and while they didn't believe him any more than they had the day before- they became worried. The demon had apparently become obsessed with this staircase. What was it? Why was it there? What did it do? Some tried to talk sense into him, some tried to humor him.

"Don't go there."

"Stop whatever you're doing, you'll get hurt."

"It's not real, you're delusional."

"Just look somewhere else for something different to do."

All their words just inspired the demon to walk back to the staircase that day. He took the first two steps up again, wincing as the heat filled him once more. He paused on the second step and looked back up towards the angel.

The angel sat in the same spot he had the previous two days, position mostly unchanged. His wings batted at the air gently behind him, air passing through his feathers. He looked down almost immediately when the demon called up again. His head tilted slightly as the demon waved excitedly, as if trying to figure him out.

The demon took a deep breath, steeled himself, and took another step upwards. The third step was even warmer than the previous two. The warmth crawled up his legs and settled in the pit of his stomach. He saw the angel sit up straight, suddenly giving the demon much more attention. This caused the demon to grin. He brought his hands up and used all the power his voice had to throw his words up the staircase. He quickly turned his head and put a hand up to his ear, straining to catch the angel's reply.

He frowned as the angel simply looked down. No response was given this time. He yelled again, leaning forward as far as he could without stepping on the fourth step.

Finally, the angel stood and walked over to the top of the staircase. Carefully avoiding stepping on the threshold, the angel leaned forward and called back. The demon jumped, as words echoed down to him. Unlike on the second step, on the third step the demon could faintly hear words.

"What are you doing?" The words sank down to him, losing more and more potency as they bounced around until he couldn't be quite sure of what he heard. The demon frowned, leaning even farther until he lost his balance and fell forward.

He yelped out when his hands hit the fourth step and the heat jumped up onto his hands. He recoiled so quickly that he even tumbled back down to the bottom of the stairs again. He sat there, rubbing his hands together to try to get them to feel normal. He looked up after a moment to see the angel looking down at him. The angel shrugged and turned away again, leaving the demon sitting dejectedly at the bottom of the staircase.

The demon suddenly felt sympathetic to the abandoned staircase- being left alone didn't feel very good. He reached out and placed a hand on the bottom of the first step. He frowned, suddenly that bottom step didn't feel as hot anymore. Compared to the fourth that had just burnt his hands, the slight temperature that radiated off this step wasn't even really warm anymore.

The demon stood and brushed off his clothes. His tail flicked back and forth curiously as he took in the scene in front of him.

The angel had returned to his post, pointedly ignoring the demon and his stairway. The demon glared at the faintly glowing golden staircase, as if it were the cause of all his troubles- and maybe it was.

If he had never found this staircase, than he wouldn't feel so uncomfortable without it's warmth now. However, whenever he felt the warmth it also brought a burning and sense of dread- it wasn't natural. Perhaps it was because the stairway lead up to Earth, and then the heavens. Each step he took lead him away from his home in the underworld, away from his comfort zone.

He looked down at his feet and put his hands in his pockets. Maybe he just needed to distance himself from this staircase and it's angel. If he could put as much distance as he could between them, perhaps that would rid him of the sudden void in him.

* * *

The demon wasn't able to stay away. While he had hiked off again the previous day, he couldn't stop his curiosity. He walked up to the bottom of his staircase and looked up at his angel. Even after only a few days, the demon had developed a sense of possession over this staircase and it's shared occupant. No one else acknowledged the stairway, everyone else claimed it was nonexistent or that he was hurting himself. They were all wrong- the stairway was most definitely there, and while the heat was uncomfortable, it was also filling.

He took the steps up again, pausing on the third. He stared at the fourth for a second before steadily taking the last step. The fourth step had taken him by surprise- but now it welcomed him again.

When he finally lifted his gaze from where they were planted on his feet and looked up, he was surprised to see the angel already looking down at him. He was even more elated when the angel leaned forward, still sitting, and called down to him first.

"What are you doing?" The voice called again, repeating it's words from the previous day. The demon looked down and wondered about this for a second. He looked up again to see the angel, wrapped in golden robes, waiting for an answer expectantly.

"Talking to you," he finally replied. That _had _been his reason for climbing the past few steps. The angel simply gave him a disbelieving look. "I'd rather not yell though," he finished.

The angel scowled at him, crossing his arms and waiting for him to elaborate. "Why don't you take a step down?" he asked, impatient. He had taken four steps up- while the angel had taken none down.

"Why should I?" The angel replied. The demon gaped, it was unfair. He glared and took a defiant step forward, landing on the fifth step. He doubled over as the warmth washed though him like a wave, filling all his limbs. He still had one foot on the fourth, which he slowly pulled up. He stood stiffly on the fifth step and gazed hopelessly up the stairway.

There were so many steps. How would he ever meet this angel if he refused to take a single step down? Over the next few minutes of silence, he slowly let his posture relax as the warmth became less raw and more comforting. The angel finally broke the silence that had formed.

"Why are you doing that?" he asked, confusion written clearly across his face. "Just go home."

The demon recoiled as if he had been hit, taking a step back, foot landing on the fourth step.

On the fifth step the warmth had reached his heart- meaning as soon as his foot hit that fourth step his heart was filled with a strange vacancy. It wasn't unpleasant, but it drained him of the happiness that had crawled it's way into his center. The sudden loss of the heat made him even angrier, causing him to draw his other foot back onto the fourth. As the rest of the fifth step's energy left, ire boiled up inside him.

"Fine." He snarled to himself, far too quiet for the angel to hear. He spun and stormed down the steps again. A pattern was beginning to form, the demon would come, take a step, and leave- while the angel sat at the top and watched. It wasn't just. It wasn't _fair._

As he left the staircase he stopped. While the anger had been able to remain inside him while he stepped down, as soon as he stepped _off _he couldn't feel anything but sadness.

* * *

On the fifth day, the demon came later than usual. He had tried to keep his anger up, he really had, but he couldn't fight the overwhelming urge to return to the staircase- to give it another try.

He climbed up the five stairs with purpose and looked up again. The angel was standing this time, harp lying on his seat. He stood at the top and watched the demon with interest.

The demon took a deep breath and took another step farther. Heat was no longer really the right word for the feeling he got from the sixth step- the odd feeling rushed through his torso and even edged away at his wings. He flinched, as this step held much more of the burning sensation than the calm warmth. He was filled sudden doubt. Was this really a good idea? Each step he took lead him away from his home, his friends and towards the unknown, to the world that hated him. The angel didn't seem to be giving him any motivation to walk up either. In fact, just the previous day he had sent the demon home, dismissing him. However, that didn't change the fact that the angel still stood there, looking down at the obviously visible stairway.

"Stop it. You're hurting yourself." The angel called, jolting the demon to attention. He shook his head vigorously, thoughts clicking into place at the voice's call.

"Will you come down to meet me?" He asked.

"Of course not," the angel scoffed, tapping his foot in impatience. "Why would I come down away from the heavens and towards the underworld?" He asked.

The demon frowned, he was stepping away from the underworld towards the heavens wasn't he? He supposed he couldn't change the angel's mind though.

"Then I'll come up." He said finally, resolution firmly clicking into place. He wanted to meet this man who shared the stairway with him. If the angel wouldn't budge, then he'd have to bend and go all the way up. It was a difficult resolution, but he decided on it none the less. He crossed his arms, daring the angel to challenge him.

The angel simply looked at him. "Why?"

"Because I want to meet you!" He cried, aggravated that the man couldn't understand this.

The angel shook his head. "You're lying. This is some trick, and I won't fall for it."

The demon stared as the angel sat back down. However, this time the angel did not turn away, he kept looking down at the demon.

* * *

Days passed, and everyday the demon would return to the bottom of the staircase. He would look up at the angel who was placed there to watch the world, but had become increasingly more focused in watching the steps. Everyday he would push himself, taking another step. Every step affected him in some new way.

When one day, he reached the tenth step the angel finally hopped off his perch and sat at the top of the steps, looking down curiously. He refused to place a foot on the first step, but he leaned forward to talk to the demon.

"Why do you keep coming back?" He asked. "I don't even know you."

The demon smiled up, happy to have become the center of the angel's attention. He shrugged. "I want to know you." He said finally. It was true, while at first he had just been fascinated with the stairway, that fascination had grown into a peculiar feeling in his chest- one that remained when the staircase didn't. He wanted to see this angel up close, he wanted to know what the angel did and how he acted. He had obtained a certain obsession, one that couldn't be dulled.

"Why?" The angel said, utterly confused. "I'm an angel. Why would you want to know me? You don't want to know me, you don't like me, so just go away."

"What!?" The demon exclaimed, leaning forward. "Of course I like you!"

The angel flinched back as if he had been hit. He averted his eyes, not looking directly at the demon. "I won't fall for it," he mumbled, just loud enough for the words to fall down to the demon. On the tenth step, they no longer needed to yell for words to reach each other.

The demon frowned and fidgeted. It wasn't a trick, why couldn't the angel realize that? He sighed, as he looked up at the steps stretching in front of him and a sense of exhaustion filled him. Each step he took drained him of any energy, and left him feeling even colder when he left.

"Well you don't need to," he said finally, forcing his sense of determination to shine through in his voice. "I'm coming up."

He had given up on the idea of the angel taking steps down the staircase. He had tried again, asking the angel to budge on the past few days, but now he gave up the idea and focused solely on his own assent.

They had proven that no one else could see the stairway when another angel had approached his angel- taking no notice of either the staircase or the demon standing on it's steps. The demon had yelled, trying to see if he could catch the attention of the blond woman who had conversed with his angel, but had given up quickly. Not only did she take no notice of him, but he really didn't want her to. This stairway had become something special, something he could use to connect himself to the angel at the top- if only he could reach him.

That was why it was all the more shocking when on the tenth day, the demon didn't spot the angel. He ran up the ten steps he had climbed before and took the extra eleventh footstep.

He yelled and yelled up the stairway, but no angel could be seen. He lifted his foot, as if to take the next step, but drew back when he felt the heat emanating off the step. He wasn't ready to face that warmth- if he was he would rush up the whole stairway right then and there. He sat down on the eleventh step and waited.

The day passed, and the demon was filled with an overwhelming sense of dread. What if the angel didn't come back? What if he never saw the angel again? He shifted, wondering if he should leave- should give up and move on. Why should he put himself through all this if in the end he was turned away?

He shook his head violently. No, he had to continue.

He kept waiting, and slowly his mental faculties faded until he found himself sprawled across the step, falling into a light doze. The warmth of the step filled him as he slept, giving him both sweet dreams and nightmares. His dreams roamed between meeting the angel at last, being greeted positively- and leaving the stairway forever, ever more being filled with the emptiness.

"What are you doing?" The voice knocked him out of his dreams and he started. The demon glanced up to see his angel standing at the top of the stairway again.

"You're back!" He exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

The angel rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yes, yes. Now what are you doing?" He asked. The demon noticed that the angel seemed to be favoring his right wing, letting it dip low.

"Are you okay?" He asked, leaning over the twelfth step. "What's wrong?"

The angel looked on with a confused expression until he looked over his shoulder at his wing. He picked it up slightly, breaking the illusion. "Fine." He sniffed, sitting down at the top of the steps.

The demon grinned. "Where were you?"

"None of your business."

He shrugged and tilted his head. "You know I've come up pretty far? Why won't you tell me something?"

"What do you mean?" The reply was guarded, but it still encouraged the demon.

He sat back down on the eleventh step. "Every time I try to talk to you, you just yell at me and claim I'm tricking you. I want you to tell me something- maybe about you."

The angel gave him a rather judging look. "What about me?"

"Anything. I don't know anything about you. I'll tell you about me too!" He grinned, wagging his tail slightly. He was glad that the angel finally seemed to be trusting him to an extent- even if he was unwilling to meet him halfway.

"...Arthur." The angel said slowly after a pause.

"Is that your name?" The demon asked excitedly. "My name is Alfred!"

The angel simply nodded and looked around lazily at the top of the steps. The demon rattled out question after question after that- some his angel answered, some he didn't.

When the tenth day drew to a close, the demon remained on the steps. The angel gave him a look. "Aren't you going home?" He asked.

"Nope," the demon replied cheerfully. "I'm staying here- you stay up there all the time."

Truthfully, now that the demon had trudged so far up the staircase, he didn't know if he could stand going down it again. The void would probably be too much now, he had gotten far too used to the stairs. He was also scared that if he left, the angel would disappear again. What if next time he didn't come back?

The angel didn't respond, just looked appraisingly at him. He felt sudden panic when the angel stood up and began walking away.

"Wait! Where are you going?" He cried, scrambling forward. Why was his angel leaving him so abruptly?

"Oh calm down." The angel replied. He strode over to where his harp laid and picked it up. He sat down on his marble perch again, blonde hair falling into his eyes. "I'm still here."

The demon nodded, settling back down as the angel started playing. The sun was setting on Earth- which was getting increasingly closer everyday. He eyed the steps, estimating maybe twenty more until he reached Earth. The stairway reached a small plateau at Earth, before narrowing again and heading upwards. If he could reach that small break, perhaps he could brace himself before climbing upwards.

The notes from the angel's song finally sunk down to the demon, causing him to sigh. He felt his eyes droop as the melody played for him. He made a contented rumble while he relaxed.

He jolted back up when the playing stopped. "Huh?" He mumbled, senses evading him.

"Do you not like it?" The angel asked, fingers still hovering over the strings. He looked slightly uneasy. "It's supposed to go down to Earth. I don't know if..." He averted his eyes from the demon, looking down at the harp in consideration.

"No! I love it," the demon called, realizing the angel must have mistaken his purr for a growl. "It's lovely."

"Really?" The angel asked, seemingly relieved.

"Yes." The demon said, relaxing as the musical notes started again. He curled up on his step and felt his mind slowly fade once more, listening as the angel wove the very air into music.

* * *

This was how their relationship blossomed. Everyday the demon would climb a step, causing the angel to wince, watching as the demon shifted around uncomfortably for the first few minutes before settling down.

"Doesn't that hurt?" He asked, brow furrowing.

"Not really." The demon lied. In fact, the steps were becoming increasingly more powerful. It was like they had increased at an exponential rate, climbing more and more- unsteadily. While the first few steps had seemed compelling, it was nothing compared to the higher ones. In fact, the demon worried. Even though he was only taking a step a day, it felt much more powerful.

He felt dread creeping up into his stomach- even though he kept a steady pace it was if he was rushing headfirst forward. He supposed he _was _rushing headfirst, but the rate that this odd feeling was building in him scared him.

The angel made a noncommittal noise, not quite believing him.

The days past, each evening ended with the demon falling asleep to the angel's beautiful melodies, and waking up in the morning to spend the next day sitting up a step. He would talk to the angel all day, and as time passed the angel opened up more and more- even giving the demon a few rare smiles now and then. Whenever the demon saw this, he was filled with a warmth more powerful than the stairway could ever provide.

On the nineteenth day, the demon took a step up to stair number twenty. The angel was very quiet, and the demon pushed.

"What's wrong?" He asked, fidgeting from the warmth of the stair.

The angel simply shook his head slowly. "Why do you keep coming?" He asked softly.

The demon laughed. "I told you already." He gazed up on his angel, smiling fondly. He had come so far, he wasn't sure he could go back down even if he wanted to. It was only ten steps more to the plateau, ten days until he could rest on Earth.

Earth had become a more and more pleasant idea. The underworld no longer held any appeal to the demon.

The angel looked down at his feet and nodded, as if accepting his excuse. "But why? You're only causing yourself suffering. Why do you even want to see me?"

"I like you," the demon replied cheerfully, causing the angel to startle.

"Do you even know what that means, demon?" He asked, fixing him with a strong look.

"Of course." The demon replied; nodding firmly, voice suddenly serious.

The angel have him a dubious look. "Then come all the way up here, prove it."

"I already am!" The demon countered, though there was no real venom in his voice.

They sat in silence for the rest of the day, quietly appraising each other.

The demon wasn't looking forward to the apparent second half of his climb he'd have to face. If it took this much energy to leave his home behind and get to Earth, then he couldn't even imagine how hard it would be to climb to the heavens.

He _was _a demon after all, he wasn't meant to go to the heavens. At first even the light from the top of the stairs had hurt his eyes, and even though the light now seemed so inviting, he was still worried about what it would do to him.

The day drew to an end without the two even speaking again, and the demon fell asleep once again, filled with dreams of light and heat.

* * *

The day finally came when the demon flopped contentedly onto the plateau that was Earth. He looked back down the staircase, seeing it stretch into the bowls of the Earth. He laughed slightly, enjoying the irony of his leaving such a place. He lounged about on Earth, wondering at how he had never been happier.

He had been to Earth before of course, for one reason or another- but it had never felt quite like this. He had always come to the middle-ground to do one job or another, and it he had never noticed the little details of the place.

He passed a hand over the tops of the grass, feeling the soft texture of it between his fingers. The sun shown down on him, warming his wings and back as he laid on his stomach. His black hair was ruffled by the soft wind, blowing his bangs into his blue eyes. Even his tail swayed around eagerly, enjoying everything that was just _Earth. _

He almost felt regret fill him as he stared intently at the first step to the heavens. It seemed to taunt him. He didn't like the idea of leaving this middle-ground. Before, he had always been on _his _side of the world. As soon as he took that first step he would be trespassing, unwelcome. His angel had dared him to climb it, but what would the other angels say? What would _they _do if they saw him? Would they be able to see the staircase if he was suddenly encroaching on their territory?

The angel didn't speak to him that day, no matter how hard he tried to get a response. His angel simply ignored him and strummed absently on his harp, as if he were deep in thought. His wings beat slightly behind him, in an erratic sort of rhythm.

The demon gave up after an hour of questioning and prodding. He comforted himself with the thought that the next day the angel _wouldn't _be able to ignore him anymore.

* * *

The demon woke with a start as the sunlight crept up to his wing. The pulled the wing close to him, guardedly, as he examined the sunrise. It wasn't anything he'd seen before. He'd seen the sun rise and set from below before sure, but it was an entirely different experience at eye level.

The sun painted the clouds wonderful shades of pinks and oranges. The sky itself was alight with color and warmth.

The demon wondered if that was what warmth actually looked like. He had always pictured heat as a fire, or something else red hot. But the gentle, soft shades that the sun created seemed much more accurate.

The wind rustled his hair again and brushed against his wings. It knocked the tips of the long grass into his face and tugged at his clothes. It was almost as if the wind was encouraging him to get up, to start the day.

Well, the sun and wind made a great duo, because they were what finally got the demon to move and stretch lazily.

While he rolled onto his back, the demon caught sight of his angel dozing against his marble pillar. He realized he had never seen the angel sleeping before, and silently thanked the sun and wind for waking him up earlier than usual.

* * *

It was nearing the end of the day when the demon finally decided to get a move on. The sun was getting ominously close to the horizon. He hadn't meant to wait that long, but he simply felt so happy on Earth.

He took a deep breath, steeling his resolution. He looked up at his angel who, while feigning disinterest, was still obviously watching closely. He was given away by his nervous movements, along with the fact that his gaze was locked onto the demon's every movement.

The demon stilled for a moment before taking the first step upwards.

This was not like the warmth from before. He yelped as pain racked through his body. He froze, as if in shock, unable to move. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes as he doubled over.

"Are you okay?" The angel asked, rushing forward to the end of the stairway- he had been poised to stand up, but the speed at which he jumped up was surprising. He received no answer as the demon began gasping. His limbs were filled with a fire he couldn't stand. There was no pleasant flickering feeling now, only a burning hurt.

"Answer me!" The angel yelled, a sudden panic filling his voice. He hovered nervously at the top of the steps, eyes wide.

The demon shook his head weakly, the simple action causing his muscles to tense. He abruptly fell backwards, unable to take the pain anymore. The burning left him in a rush, and while the pain alleviated, he could actually see steam rising off of his arms and legs.

"Are you okay?" The angel asked again. He stood at the top of the stairs, wringing his hands nervously.

"Maybe- maybe I can-" the demon stuttered. No, he couldn't give up. He'd made a promise that he had to reach the top, that was the only way to prove to the angel that he wasn't lying.

He closed his eyes tightly and stepped forward again, tears streaming down his cheeks as the burning washed through him again.

"_Stop!_" The angel screeched in horror. "What are you _doing?_"

"But- but I have to-" the demon began, gasping. Suddenly, all the strength left his body and he collapsed. He drew a sharp breath as his body landed sprawled across the next two steps- he could feel them actually burning at his skin.

The angel let out an cry, and then he did something that the demon certainly hadn't expected.

He began running down the stairs.

The demon used the last of his strength to lift his head and stare, amazed as the angel practically scrambled down the steps as fast as he could. He didn't even flinch as he took step after step.

Five, ten, twenty- he soon approached where the demon laid. He pulled the demon's upper body up and threw him almost violently back onto Earth. The pain left, letting some energy back into his veins.

The demon sat back and stared at the glaring angel in front of him. He still stood a good few steps up from Earth, but still- there he was, closer than ever. _So _close.

"What were you _thinking!_" he cried, waving his arms frantically. "For God's sake you were _burning! _And you _still _insisted on trying again? Are you stupid?! Do you _want _to get yourself killed?! How could you-"

"How?" The demon crinkled his brow, ignoring the steam that was coming off his body in waves.

The angel paused, mouth still slightly open, finger pointing accusingly at the demon in front of him. His jade eyes that had been flashing menacingly softened slightly. "What?" He asked.

"How did you- the steps- it took me weeks..." The demon was rather speechless. Perhaps coming down the stairs was different than going up, but the changes the stairs had made on him hadn't seemed to affect the angel at all.

"Oh," the angel said, glancing down at his position on the steps. He averted his eyes, refusing to look at the demon. "I- that is-" he coughed, clearing his throat.

"Didn't it do anything?" The demon didn't know why, but the idea seemed somewhat... odd to the demon. For some reason, he'd believed that the stairway would be important to the angel as well, that it would fill him with the same bittersweet warmth.

"No..." The angel shifted his weight from one foot to the next, still not meeting the others gaze.

The demon felt hurt. "Well then walk down the last few steps!" He crossed his arms over his chest in defense, trying to hide the weakness he felt.

The angel shifted the full weight of his attention to the last few steps, eyes widening. "Wha- why? I haven't-"

"If the steps don't do anything to you then just come down!" The demon's blue eyes flashed, betraying the whirlpool that was his internal emotions quite clearly.

"I never said that!" the angel shot back, glaring. "I just-"

"What then?!" Tears were beginning to form at the corner of the demon's eyes now, and they had nothing to do with any sort of physical pain the stairs had inflicted upon him. He felt a tugging in his chest. He had gone through so much to get this far and what- the angel just didn't care? Was that why the stairs hadn't worked the same?

"Oh _belt up _already!" The angel pulled at his hair in frustration. "I can't go down the steps because I haven't yet!"

The demon became even more confused, his heart hurt and he wasn't thinking clearly. Maybe if his head had been clearer, he might have understood. "What do you mean?"

He just got a look of desperation from the angel. "I _mean _you're an idiot. Of course the stairs affected me."

"Then how-"

"I've been testing them." The angel finally replied, turning away from the demon slightly, refusing to meet is gaze. The other simply looked on, prompting a more detailed response from the man. He sighed and deflated a bit. "At night... I've been walking down..."

The demon stared a second before the facts finally clicked into place in his head. He jumped to his feet, ignoring the protesting from his muscles. He must have been quite a sight- tears still hovered at the corners of his eyes, yet a smile worked it's way across his face. Not to mention the fact that he was burnt.

"That's great!" He yelped before running towards the angel.

"Oh no you don't!" The angel glared, he leaned forward and grabbed at the demon's horns and twisted, using the other man's momentum against him and tossing him backwards. This caused him to tumble to the ground at the base of the stairs once more. "You are not hurting yourself again."

"But I want to touch you!" He whined, sitting on the ground again. He rubbed at his horn where it had made contact with the angel's hand.

A blush spread across the angel's cheeks, and he looked down at the stairs again quickly as his eyes widened. "Well- that- I mean-"

"Please?" The demon looked up at the angel, leaning forward. He winced back at the heat he could feel emanating from the step in front of him, but otherwise he remained steady- puppy-dog eyes in full effect.

"I- I suppose." The angel stammered, still refusing to look at the demon sprawled out on Earth. "But I still haven't walked down these stairs yet."

"Then jump!" The demon jumped to his feet and held out his arms. "I'll catch you!"

The angel looked at him for a few seconds before shaking his head. "No, I'll walk down. I need to finish this."

There were only two steps between where the angel stood and Earth, but it seemed so much larger than that. He held his breath and closed his eyes tightly.

Three steps was all it was- one down, two to the final step, a third to Earth. The angel rushed forward, gasping as the same warmth that had filled the demon on his walk up filled him on his down. He crashed into the demon, who had stepped forward to meet him. He gave a small cry as arms wrapped tightly around him, squeezing the air from his lungs.

For some reason, the fact that the other man was waiting for him in the middle had made it a lot easier to deal with those last two steps.

"Please-" he squeaked. He was still adjusting to the feeling that was Earth, he didn't need to deal with being crushed as well.

Sensing the angel's apparent discomfort, the demon pulled back and grinned at him.

"You lied."

The angel's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"You said you wouldn't come down- you're a liar. I thought angels weren't supposed to lie." He giggled at the look of shock that crossed the angel's face. "It's okay though, demon's aren't supposed to tell the truth."

"But you didn't," the angel snapped defensively, causing the demon to raise an eyebrow. "You didn't come all the way up, I had to meet you halfway."

"But I would have." He countered. The demon pouted slightly. "Isn't it better this way though? Isn't Earth nice?"

"Would've gotten yourself killed," the angel muttered before, "I suppose." He glanced around at the air around them, taking in the wind and sky. It was now sunset- and while the oranges weren't quite the same as the sunrise's, and the pinks were replaced with purples, it was just as striking. The wind rejoiced in running through the pair's hair and pulling at their wings as they just stood there, taking in the scenery.

The two of them sat on Earth as the sun set, simply talking. Earth seemed to greet them with open arms, gracing them with the perfect, cozy temperature.

It wasn't until the sun had set and the dark blue of the night sky crept over the other edge of the horizon when the demon shifted uncomfortably and said what had been burning a hole in his mind.

"Are you going back up?"

The angel stared at him, as if he were an unruly student and giving him overused lectures was the norm. The demon fidgeted under the others stern glance.

"Really? You think I put myself through all that just to go back?"

The demon didn't respond with words, rather he just lunged forward and wrapped his arms around his companion again.

"That's great!" His joy was overflowing, causing the angel to smile.

"Is it?" he half-joked.

The demon pulled back and gave him a suddenly very serious look. It hadn't been until he had seen the angel run down the steps to him that he had finally understood. He understood what that warm feeling was- he got why it was so, so very amazing and so bittersweet at the same time. He understood why, once he had gotten a taste of it, he just couldn't leave that warmth behind anymore.

It may have been a bit much to say he understood that odd feeling completely, because he didn't. It was still new, and strange, and even scary- but it was so nice as well. The demon had never been happier before than now, when he held his angel in his arms.

"Of course it is. I love you."

The angel gaped at this, stunned. He stiffened at the words and looked away. A blush worked it's way all the way up to his ears and he tried futilely to escape out of the other man's iron grasp.

"You're just saying that."

"Are we really going to do this again? I climbed that staircase for you, and you didn't believe me before I did. Please don't make me climb another one." It was the demon's turn to give the other a reprimanding look now. He refused to let go of the other man, waiting for an answer.

"No," the angel muttered, refusing to meet his gaze.

"...well? What about you?" The demon prompted at the angel mercilessly. He wouldn't relent that easily.

"I walked down that staircase for you too didn't I, Alfred?" The angel shrunk down on himself, unable to escape from the man's arms, but hoping that maybe he could disappear into them as the next best thing.

Accepting that as the closest answer he was going to get, and understanding the meaning behind the words, the demon hugged his angel even closer to his chest.

"Love you too, Arthur."

* * *

"So when did you start coming down?"

"Shut it Alfre-"

"Was it when your wing was hurt?"

"I don't want to-"

"It totally was wasn't it?"

"_Alfred-_"

The demon silenced him with a peck on the cheek, causing the angel to blush fiercely and smack at him with his wing. He only laughed and danced out of the way.

Earth was a wonderful place- a lovely middle-ground. It was neither inherently dark, nor inherently light. It was not angelic or demonic. Time passed, and the pair spent their time on Earth, simply enjoying each others presence and the newfound warmth that Earth brought them both.

They not so much forgot about the heavens or underworld, as chose to move on. Neither of them wanted to leave Earth and it's sunrises and sunsets- Earth, and each other.

That staircase remained in place, unmoving. Even though the pair left it, and didn't look back, that did not change the fact that it still existed.

Abandoned again, the stairway might seem like a lonely place, but what was to say it would never be used again? It may have been hard to see, or difficult to climb, but the reward that awaited in the middle was beautiful. No cobwebs accumulated in the corners of the stairway, and while dust may settle in a fine layer on the steps, it in no way looked or felt like it was in a state of disrepair. It simply sat there, waiting until it could be of use again. Until it would shine golden once more.

It may have taken a step a day for that unlikely pair to meet, but what of others?

What are days to angels and demons? What warmth could break the barrier between them?

What stairways stretch from the heavens to the underworld?

* * *

**Yay! Thank you for reading.**

**If it's not clear, (which it probably isn't because y'know... I'm me), the stairs ****_were_**** real, but they were also supposed to be a metaphor for love. How it fills you up with good feelings, but also bad ones too. You feel happy and loved, but you also get jealous and anxious. They had to meet half-way because that's how love should work. If you try to push yourself beyond that, disregarding what's good for you or what you feel, then you can get really hurt. It's about compromise.**

**Plus, while Alfred is very straightforward with his feelings, Arthur is not so much. He couldn't trust Alfred (well he was a demon) so he didn't want to go down the staircase at first, but he did anyway, because he got over his fear. (Though not his embarrassment apparently.)**

**I tried to work a lot of metaphors in there. Like how nobody else could see ****_their_**** staircase, and even Arthur didn't quite see it at first. About how people kept saying it was only going to end badly if he messed with it. But does Alfred listen, no, (is that a good quality?) and it's a happy ending! Yay!**

**The idea is that love can cross boundaries. **

* * *

**Okay, I'll stop trying to be deep now. Haha. XD **

**Thank you again for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. -Dawn**


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